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CHAPTER 7 THE IMPORTANCE OF SETTING INVESTMENT GOALS
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While we lived in Wyoming we enjoyed aiming our car down two-track trails toward distant buttes in pursuit of adventure. We seldom had a goal. We just wandered the gulches and circled pinnacles looking for wild horses, Indian writings, jade, and ghost towns. This goal-less mind-set did a flip-flop when we sailed from Auckland, New Zealand, bound for tiny Pitcairn Island—3000 miles away. We suddenly gained interest in the captain's goals. "Show us the charts. Where are we now?"
Why Set Goals? On that voyage we learned why people set goals: Goals keep our objective in sight. The captain steered toward his goal, and after seven days we arrived at 2-square-mile Pitcairn Island. (It took Fletcher Christian five months to find the island—sailing from Tahiti, only half as far!) Goals help us make the best use of time and energy. The captain's employer paid $1500 an hour for ship's expenses. If he sailed around with no port in mind, the captain could waste millions of dollars and accomplish nothing. Once, during our term on Pitcairn, a ship arrived about sundown. Our radio operator asked per-mission for islanders to come aboard and sell curios. "Not tonight," the captain declined. "Wait 'till morning." "Morning?" the Pitcairners wondered. "What captain could afford drifting all night?" We discovered that the ship's cargo wouldn't be ready for them for another 22 days, and the captain's goals reflected a waiting game. Goals limit waste of movement, time, and re-sources. Knowing what we want encourages us to forgo unneeded activity.
Kinds of Goals We have many kinds of goals: » Time goals help us finish a project in a period of time, or by a set date. » Quality goals keep our products and services up to the standards of excellence we've chosen. » Quantity goals regulate our speed, efficiency, and output.
Personal Investment Goals Investment goals require specialized applications reflecting our motives in investing for God? • Do we want to impress others that we can raise large amounts for Investment? That's a goal—but not a good one. • Do we decide to give, say, 25% of the profits from selling land—because it hasn't sold and we hope God will send a buyer? That's not a good goal either. We might even think of such actions as bribery. One man, after a stock-market slump, pledged $1,000 when "Dow Jones rises to ____ again." These goals may not always be selfish, for some people may have to cash in their land or stocks in order to give. But the best Investment motives draw us toward God, wanting to do more for Him. So we invest to increase our resources and bring bigger offerings. "My goal," someone says, "is to raise tomatoes so I can give $100 for Bibles in Khazakhstan." That's a wonderful goal.
Story A nursing-home owner wanted to give more. But her business always had empty beds, and expenses often devoured potential profits. One Sabbath she heard the Investment leader explain God's blessings on people who dedicate their offerings to Him. She decided to give her last bed to Jesus. "I've never filled that bed," she prayed. "If You fill it, I'll give all the money it earns." She advertised, interviewed people, and admitted more guests than ever. For the first time, every bed filled and stayed that way. And she had a large offering each month for Investment. When we dedicate ourselves to God, we should set a goal, and work toward it. God will honor our efforts and increase our offerings for His cause.
How To Set an Investment Goal ■ Decide how much you want to raise. Be reasonable, but use faith. ■ Decide what method you'll use: • garden vegetables; • give a percentage of a special project; • give part of business profits; • make an investment in the stock market, bank Certificate of Deposit, etc. List steps on paper to reach your goal. Example: A garden: • plow • plant • weed • fertilize • water • debug • harvest • sell Leave nothing out—too many steps are better than too few. ■ Decide how long each step will take and write it beside the corresponding goal. Example: • plow—2 hours • etc. ■ Add the total to be sure you have enough time. ■ Design a count-down chart, listing steps with calendar dates for beginning and ending each step. For example: • plow and plant--April 14 • weed/fertilize/water/debug--May 1-August 1 • harvest--August 1 • sell--Investment auction: August 5 ■ Follow the count-down to assure success. ■ Give what you've raised on Investment Sabbath —even if you didn't reach your goal. (Some people give the balance themselves.) ■ Review your plan to help set better goals next time. ■ Praise God for the success He gave you! (Com-pare Isaiah 26:12)
EXAMPLE OF CHURCH GOAL The example of the Cincinnati Hills church shows the importance of setting goals. This small church raised $3136 in a recent year in part because they had an objective, and that spurred them on to success. Another aspect should not be overlooked—precedence. Cincinnati Hills had an on-going desire to keep up their commitment to support missions through Sabbath School Investment. They had set a goal of $3000 years ago, and even though their congregation became smaller they wanted to keep up that tradition. That kept them working to meet their goal—year after year. Maybe your church doesn't have a history of supporting Investment. Then this would be a good time to begin. Study the examples of successful churches—many of them recorded in Sabbath School Leadership magazine and in this book. Decide what will work for you and for your church, and then go to it. God will bless your dedicated efforts.
PICK A PROJECT . . . WORK WITH GOD! |